Hawaii First Water

Why Honolulu’s Pipes Keep Rupturing…

May 2017, Civil Beat, Courtney Teague.

When a 2-foot-wide, cast iron water main broke beneath the H-1 freeway in Kahala in January, workers had to dig a gaping hole nearly 20 feet deep, and repairs took several days. A nightmarish traffic backup ensued, and the Waialae Beach Park was temporarily closed.

Two months later on a sunny afternoon in nearby Palolo, residents stood in their driveways, watching water shoot out of Pakui Street from a broken 16-inch cast iron main. The plume could be seen for miles as it rained down on a house across the street.

Sheila Niderost pointed to white lines around the break that she said were painted about a month earlier when the pipe had previously burst.

A Water Main Breaks Almost Every Day On Oahu

Like many Palolo residents, Niderost’s home has been in the family for decades. She can recall several main breaks on Pakui Street, including one 20 years ago that damaged her car and flooded her house and yard. The road cracked down the middle, and boulders rolled off the Wilhelmina Rise hillside at the end of her street.

“That was the worst I’ve ever seen it,” she said.

While some cause a lot more trouble than others, ruptures occur almost every day somewhere along Oahu’s 2,100 miles of water pipes.

Oahu has more water main breaks than most mainland cities of similar size. Unique island factors like underground lava tubes and corrosive clay soils — along with an apparent longtime unwillingness to charge people the actual cost of delivering their fresh water — are often blamed.

Whatever the cause, Honolulu faces a mammoth challenge in upgrading its water infrastructure. The Board of Water Supply aims to replace 1 percent of all pipes in the system annually, which would cost an estimated $160 million each year in current dollars.

BWS is considering another multi-year rate increase to help pay for the work. Even after fees were raised from 2012 to 2016, Oahu water users pay less than what is needed to operate and maintain the water system, according to a University of Hawaii professor and engineering expert.

See the rest of the article here…

Water out of thin air? It can be done…

April: By J.D. Capelouto, Reuters

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – People living in arid, drought-ridden areas may soon be able to get water straight from a source that’s all around them — the air, American researchers said Thursday.

Scientists have developed a box that can convert low-humidity air into water, producing several liters every 12 hours, they wrote in the journal Science.

“It takes water from the air and it captures it,” said Evelyn Wang, a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and co-author of the paper.

The technology could be “really great for remote areas where there’s really limited infrastructure”, she said.

The system, which is currently in the prototype phase, uses a material that resembles powdery sand to trap air in its tiny pores. When heated by the sun or another source, water molecules in the trapped air are released and condensed — essentially “pulling” the water out of the air, the scientists said.

A recent test on a roof at MIT confirmed that the system can produce about a glass of water every hour in 20 to 30 percent humidity.

Companies like Water-Gen and EcoloBlue already produce atmospheric water-generation units that create water from air. What is special about this new prototype, though, is that it can cultivate water in low-humidity environments using no energy, Wang said.

“It doesn’t have to be this complicated system that requires some kind refrigeration cycle,” she said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

An estimated one third of the world’s population lives in areas with low relative humidity, the scientists said. Areas going through droughts often experience dry air, but Wang said the new product could help them still get access to water.

“Now we can get to regions that really are pretty dry, arid regions,” she said. “We can provide them with a device, and they can use it pretty simply.”

The technology opens the door for what co-author Omar Yaghi called “personalized water”.

Yaghi, a chemistry professor at University of California, Berkeley, envisions a future where the water is produced off-grid for individual homes and possibly farms using the device.

“This application extends beyond drinking water and household purposes, off grid. It opens the way for use of (the technology) to water large regions as in agriculture.”

In the next few years, Wang said, the developers hope to find a way to reproduce the devices on a large scale and eventually create a formal product. The resulting device, she believes, will be relatively affordable and accessible.

(Reporting by J.D. Capelouto; editing by Alex Whiting.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit news.trust.org/climate)

Maui residents protest diversion of Maui water

Feb 2017: WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) – Maui residents are calling on Hawaii land owner Alexander & Baldwin to disclose the impacts of the company’s proposed 30-year lease for water from island streams.

The Maui News reports that the company’s subsidiary, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., is seeking 115 million gallons of water per day for future diversified agriculture on about 30,000 acres of old sugar fields. The sugar plantation ceased its operations in December.

See the rest of the article here…

Deep dive into the (Kona) aquifer dispute

February:

By Cameron Miculka West Hawaii Today cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com

HONOKOHAU — Centuries ago, those who lived here knew how special this place was.

It’s here, at what is now Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, that the water flows beneath the ground and out to the bay, mixing with the saltwater to create an environment perfect for the ‘ama‘ama, or mullet, whose predators can’t tolerate the lower salinity.

The ancient Hawaiians knew this, and they took advantage of the fish’s movements by constructing a massive wall to create the Kaloko Fishpond.

By using channels and gates in the wall that controlled the fish’s entrances and exits, they were able to create a sustainable source of food for themselves.

Today, the mullet, awa and papio still swim back and forth through the channels built into the ancient wall, currently being reconstructed by park masons.

Nearby, seemingly lifeless anchialine pools teem with opae ula, the tiny red shrimp that make their homes in the brackish pools.

But park rangers here fear that increased use of the island’s limited freshwater resources at current and proposed wells, combined with decreased rainfall and rising sea levels, could upset the delicate ecosystem that relies on the balance of fresh and salt water.

As a result, they’re asking the state Commission on Water Resource Management to step in and designate the Keauhou Aquifer, which covers a vast region from Makalawena Beach to north of Kealakekua Bay, a water management area.

Designation would give the Park Service a chance to weigh in on the future of water withdrawals in the area.

That would include for any applications by developers to build new wells mauka of the park’s boundary. By having a chance to challenge permits, park staff could officially voice their concerns about potential impacts those wells could have on the park’s ecosystems.

Not everyone is on board with the proposal though.

Opponents to designating the aquifer say the National Park Service hasn’t shown any evidence that there’s a problem. Commission staff have already filed a report recommending against the designation, instead offering several alternative recommendations.

A hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (14 Feb) at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

See the rest of the article here

The NSF EPSCoR ‘Ike Wai project brings science, education and community together to ensure Hawai’i’s freshwater future

(November Editor Note:  This is the first note from the UH ‘Ike Wai project funded by the National Science Foundation in May 2016.  This article begins to lay out what UH plans to fund with the $20 million grant.  We look forward to  better understanding of our islands’ aquifers to begin the process of conserving our vital freshwater resources.)

This is the first in a series of articles about the ‘Ike Wai project by Burt Lum.   Each monthly article will explore a different aspect of the project and an ongoing story of ‘Ike Wai.   Burt is getting the word out about ‘Ike Wai on social media.  Follow us on facebook and instagram @hawaiiepscor.  This is a link to the ‘Ike Wai website.

 

By Burt Lum

Growing up in Hawai‘i, I was amazed to learn that much of our freshwater comes from aquifers deep underground. Our volcanic geology makes for an intricate and complex catchment system. The journey starts as the trade winds blow and clouds are forced up into the cooler atmosphere by high mountain ranges where their moisture begins to condense. This water falls on the islands in the form of rain and misty clouds before slowly percolating through the island’s subsurface geology, finally helping to recharge the island’s freshwater aquifers. This freshwater becomes Hawai‘i’s primary source of drinking water.

In the months, and years, to come, I will have the distinct honor of helping tell this age old story of water through the lens of some 21st century science and technology. Back in May 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the University of Hawai‘i a 5-year, $20M grant to study the freshwater aquifer in recognition of this critical natural resource.

The grant is part of the NSF EPSCoR program or Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research whose mission is to to advance excellence in science and engineering research and education. One of its primary goals is “to advance science and engineering capabilities in EPSCoR jurisdictions for discovery, innovation and overall knowledge-based prosperity.”

‘Ike Wai, the name embraced by the Hawai‘i EPSCoR team, is derived from the Hawaiian word for knowledge (‘ike) and freshwater (wai) or the Knowledge of Water.

The water cycle of the islands seems straightforward, but once the water moves from the surface to the subsurface its path to the aquifer can be complex. Subsurface geologic structures are a complex network of porous volcanic rock, impervious caprock and vertical dikes that restrict the flow of water. The existence of these structures are inferred by the variability of water elevation in wells however not much is known about the spatial boundaries of these structures and how they affect the flow of groundwater. Even less is known about how water may move from one aquifer to another in response to high rainfall events or increased pumping of wells for our local water supply. For example the Pearl Harbor Aquifer services 60% of the population of Oahu and is threatened by the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Aquifer is the Honolulu Aquifer. Little is known how these two aquifers affect each other and whether water flows from one aquifer to another.

Through the ‘Ike Wai project, scientists will apply the field sensor data and the latest geophysical tools to help refine existing models of these aquifers, but that is just the start.

The two study areas include the Pearl Harbor Aquifer on O‘ahu and the Hualalai Aquifer on Hawai‘i Island. The project consists of a team of scientists, economists, educators as well as stakeholders in the community that will come together as a multidisciplinary collaboration between members from the University of Hawai‘i School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Hawai‘i Institute for Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Dept. of Information and Computer Science and the Water Resources Research Center.

According to Gwen Jacobs, Principal Investigator for the project, “The study of the freshwater aquifer is critically important for Hawai‘i. With this project we will take a collaborative approach for our four broad goals, science & research, community engagement, decision support and education & workforce development.”

One of the goals is to map geologic structures and produce 3D models of the groundwater distribution of the aquifer.  The plan involves the deployment of a network of sensors that will provide real time monitoring of water conditions in designated wells. Sensors will monitor temperature, salinity, organics, turbidity and flow-rate. These data will form the basis for a “big picture view” of aquifer analysis. With an understanding of the physical characteristics of adjoining aquifers and the modeling of water flow between and through the aquifer, decision makers will be equipped with better tools to manage the long term sustainability of Hawai‘i’s freshwater resources.

The resulting decision support platform will house the data and analysis from this project as well as the visualization tools to aid community stakeholders in a collaborative environment. Key to this capability are the advanced technologies including the University of Hawai‘i’s high performance computing resources, the Laboratory for Advanced Visualizations and Applications (LAVA) and the CyberCANOE – the Cyber-Infrastructure Enabled Collaborative Analysis Navigation and Observation Environment.

A key to the success of the ‘Ike Wai project is building active collaborations with other agencies and organizations that study Hawai‘i’s freshwater. Work to understand Hawai‘i’s freshwater has been going on for decades and the aim with ‘Ike Wai is to engage stakeholders to identify the gaps and provide new techniques and models to help fill those gaps. This will require a close working relationship at the Federal level with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). At the State and County level the team is working with the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Commission on Water Resource Management (Dept of Land and Natural Resources), Honolulu Board of Water Supply and the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply.

While this research is funded for 5 years, the long lasting impact of ‘Ike Wai will come through education and workforce development. As a result of this 5-year project both UH Mānoa and UH Hilo will develop new programs and add new faculty with the goal of creating the next generation of water-workforce including geologists, hydrologists, computer specialists and modelers, and natural resource economists and managers. UH Mānoa has plans to create three tenure-track faculty positions: a hydro-geophysicist, within the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), a hydro-engineer, with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a water economist, within the Social Sciences Research Institute.

At UH Hilo, the EPSCoR project will help to establish a new Data Science program with four new tenure-track faculty positions in Computer Science, Mathematics, Social Science and Natural Science. This will lead to new degree programs in Data Science and Data Analytics.

Understanding Hawai‘i’s freshwater resource will benefit all the people in the State but the investment in this project will go a long way towards creating a pathway for science and research that can be applied beyond Hawai‘i to other Pacific Island nations. It also aims to develop a continuous flow of our next generation professionals, the knowledge base and tools for future decision making.

“I’m excited that we can build a software platform and a data repository that is not only in use by researchers at UH but also becomes a knowledge resource for our agency partners,” said Jacobs. “When we look back on this project I’d like to say we’ve seeded a new research area that is the catalyst to fund more research opportunities in this area to further benefit Hawai‘i and the Pacific.”

There are many facets to this complex story from big data visualizations, scientific and community collaborations to understanding the native Hawaiian cultural knowledge of freshwater. You will find a regular monthly posting of articles here on the Hawaii EPSCoR website and you can also follow this journey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please join me as we explore ‘Ike Wai the Knowledge of Water.

Hirono, State & Local Leaders Emphasize How Public & Private Partnerships Improve Hawaii’s Water Security

November: Press release from Senator Hirono’s Office.  18 October 2016.

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today convened state and local leaders to examine how federal partnerships protect and sustain Hawaii’s freshwater resources. Senator Hirono, Governor David Ige, state elected officials, and watershed resource experts outlined what Hawaii groups are currently doing to improve water security, and how the federal government can support these efforts.

“Hawaii’s native forested watersheds feed our state’s water supply, and it is vital that we protect these precious resources,” said Senator Hirono. “The federal government will continue to play a critical role in supporting innovative strategies that protect our forested watersheds. We must continue to work with all stakeholders to improve conservation and ensure that our water resources are protected for generations to come.”

“During the World Conservation Congress in Honolulu last month, I made an ambitious commitment to the global community to protect 30 percent of Hawaii’s priority watershed forests by 2030,” said Governor Ige. “Only 15 percent of priority watershed forests are protected. We can only reach this goal and exceed it through public-private partnerships between landowners and managers who recognize this is the best way to protect our forested watersheds and our fresh water source.”

Senator Hirono voted to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Senator Hirono also worked to get Hawaii’s collaborative landscape proposal, “Island Forests at Risk,” in the President’s budget for FY 2016 and 2017. This proposal, which includes 13 public and private partners, provides funding to purchase and protect endangered species’ habitats, culturally significant areas, and ecologically important lands in the state.

Senator Hirono heard from a number of witnesses who shared federal, local, and cultural perspectives on how to improve Hawaii’s water security, including:

 

State Senator Mike Gabbard

Chair, Hawaii State Senate Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture

State Representative Ryan Yamane

Chair, Hawaii State House of Representatives Committee on Water and Land

Mr. Steve Anthony

Director, U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Islands Water Science Center

Mr. Randy Moore

Regional Forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture Pacific Southwest Region Forest Service

Mr. David Smith

Administrator, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Dr. Sam Gon

Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii

Mr. Matthew Gonser

Extension Faculty, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program

Mr. Trae Menard

Chair, Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships

‘Ike Wai: Securing Hawai’i’s Water Future, supported by NSF EPSCoR

October (Editor Comment:  Although NSF granted the UH $20 Million for water research earlier this year, see link to see how the UH is beginning to formulate its water research plan and its video.  See the link here)

Hawai‘i depends exclusively on local water. The ‘Ike Wai project will provide data and models that address the grand challenge of water sustainability. A diverse workforce of data scientists and water researchers will work in concert with the community, government and business to inform decision makers with high-quality data and predictive capacity.  The project incorporates indigenous and local communities, and its robust, inclusive and diverse human capital pipeline of undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and junior faculty will address water challenges at the academic and policy level.

The Governor’s World Conservation Congress Legacy Commitment: “30 by 30 Watershed Forests Target”

The Hawaiian koa-‘ōhi‘a rainforests capture and provide the islands’ supply of fresh clean water, lessen impacts from climate change, dramatically reduce flooding and erosion into our coral reefs, provide an ecosystem for unique plants and wildlife, and have profound cultural significance. Approximately 20% of land area in Hawaiʻi is identified as priority watershed. In 2011, only 10% of these priority watersheds were protected.

The rest of the Governor’s statement is here…

Ige On Water Protection: Don’t Stop At Papahanaumokuakea

September: Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat:

Gov. David Ige welcomed a major environmental conference to Hawaii on Thursday by committing to protect more of his state’s watersheds and nearshore ocean waters.

Ige spoke to several thousand people at the opening of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, which will continue through Sept. 10 at the Hawaii Convention Center.

He announced the state’s commitment to protect 30 percent of its highest priority watersheds by 2030 and to “effectively manage” 30 percent of its nearshore ocean waters in the same time frame.

“We are a microcosm of our planet Earth,” Ige said during opening ceremonies at the Blaisdell Center. “We cannot afford to mess this up.”

(Comment:  Although a majority of the opening speakers addressed ocean issues, our governor opened his welcoming comments which a statement which directly concerns freshwater supplies on our islands.)

For the rest of the article and all of Civil Beat’s excellent coverage of the World Conservation Congress which is ongoing in Honolulu see this link

He Lono Moku

August: This week the IUCN World Conservation Congress will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii to further the cause of world environmental concerns.  A Hawaii based Environmental Funders Group published what will become an annual report on the state of Hawaii’s environment.   I will be attending the Congress and reporting on any interesting findings which are particularly focused on fresh water issues on Hawai’i and other Pacific Islands.  (By Larry Kobayashi)

Here is the preface and the link to actual report.

The State of the Environment: HAWAI‘I 2016

With the IUCN World Conservation Congress being held in the United States for the first time, Hawai‘i’s environment and sustainability efforts are on the world stage. He lono moku recognizes this global momentum and highlights priorities for environmental equilibrium in Hawai‘i. This state of the environment report shares our advances in freshwater security, renewable energy, and community-based marine management—and is candid about where our efforts are falling well short.

Each year, he lono moku will track and share progress across a variety of environmental topics. At the center of the world’s largest ocean and with a tourism economy directly linked to our environment, we cannot afford to overlook our precious natural resources. As the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a returns home after circumnavigating island earth, the Hawai‘i Environmental Funders Group joins the global call to embrace a “mālama honua”—care for the earth—mindset to ensure that our Islands thrive for generations to come.

Progress must be real—we cannot fool Mother Nature. The traditional Hawaiian proverb rings even more true today than centuries ago when first uttered: “He ali‘i ka ‘āina, he kauwā ke kanaka.” The land is a chief, man is its servant.

 

And here is the link to their report…